


Seal My Heart and Break My Pride

by RideBoldlyRide



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Background Relationships, F/M, Gym AU, It's like an AU smoothie, Modern AU, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020, mixed with a bit of a Tea Shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25541452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RideBoldlyRide/pseuds/RideBoldlyRide
Summary: After a telling introduction at the gym, Zuko and Katara are surprised to cross paths again through a mutual friend. Despite a rocky start, things are changing for Zuko- for the better. The only question that remains is when his sister and father get involved, where will he stand?All characters are aged up in real time. For example:Zuko is 31Katara is 29Toph is 27This is my Zutara Week 2020 entries.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 63
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	1. we carry through the fears, disappointed faces of your peers

**Author's Note:**

> So, I swore I'd never write a modern AU. Then Zutara happened in my life. -.-" Soooo.... Here's a Modern AU with a twist of Gym AU and a sprig of Tea Shop AU. I call it "Seal My Heart and Break My Pride". This is my Zutara Week 2020 entries. 
> 
> I will be posting each chapter under a lyric from a song of my era, since I just recently had the epiphany that realtime aged up ATLA characters would be in my age group O.o So you guys get to see lyrics from the angsty-est songs of my teenage years. The title of the entire work is from a later song of my early 20's but it was too fitting. This chapter is where the awkward begins!
> 
> Enjoy- and as always, please, *please* leave feedback and constructive criticism! I'm constantly looking to better myself and this is my first foray into a modern setting-- I can use all the help I can get.

It's the smell, Katara decides. It definitely wasn't the music - she always piped in her own mix of high-tempo, hard hitting music through her headphones. It's not the taste of the crappy tap water from their generic doctor's-office-standard water fountains. It wasn't for the sights of the people who were there.

Well, most of the people that were there. There was one or two…

No, she decided. It was entirely the smell that, no matter where in the world she landed, got her moving. A blend of sweat, rubber, and disinfectant, every gym she had ever walked into had the same smell. This realization settled over her as she entered the old gym. She had recently moved back from one of the old Earth Kingdom settlements at the coast, and was now participating in a research project with Ba Sing Se University, her old alma mater. Fortune had been on her side, however, when her old gym’s membership was reciprocal back again to one in the city. 

It had been three years since she had left Ba Sing Se for Selin Harbor, fresh from the university, a master’s degree in Marine Biology in tow. Now, she had been called back due to a troubling disease emerging in the dark, mysterious waters off the coast of the city. 

She had begun her workout running intervals, hopping from treadmill to resistance training to machines, and back, forcing the stress and worry of her new work out of her mind. Falling into her rhythm, time began to slip away. As was common, during her physical exertions, she felt the outside world fall away, and a single-minded focus overtook her thoughts, caught up only in the heavy beat in her ears.

Somewhere in between a few of her runs, she stepped away from the treadmill, took a pause to swallow down some more water, and turned to the next step in her pattern. She stopped suddenly. In her next station - a gym mat stocked with medicine ball and resistance bands - a fellow gym member was actively using her set up. A moment of frustration passed through her, but she swallowed it down. Instead, she moved away, trying to preoccupy herself with her next exercise, determined to come back after his set. But as she finished up and returned, she found him still in her spot, this time in between sets. Irritation pricked at her lips, but she sucked in a deep breath and plastered her best “people are oblivious” smile across her face. Pulling her headphones down, she rounded him.

“Excuse me,” she knew her voice was sickly sweet, but she didn’t care, “I hate to be that person, but…” 

A glint of gold in his eyes shot towards her motions, in contrast with his light skin and dark hair. It was obvious that he was no stranger to the gym himself, and it took a moment for her to remember what she was going to protest. (About those sights at the gym…? She ascertained that he was one of those exceptions.) Swallowing down the startling nature of his side eye, she pulled her indignation back to the forefront. He still didn't turn to her fully, preferring to shoot her a glare sideways. 

"But," she continued resolutely, "you're kind of interrupting my intervals. I need to use this spot before--"

"I'm not interested."

"...what?" It was only then that she noticed the white at his ears- headphones. Did this prick really think she was hitting on him? Her face turned sour, her voice rising. "Now, you listen here, you--"

He sighed, and pulled out the earbud closest to her. The music was just as loud as hers, she noticed abstractly. 

"Listen, I'm not in--"

"You're in my spot!" She spat out aggressively. 

It was his turn to be confused. "What?"

"My spot. You are literally in my spot. You've interrupted my intervals, but still managed to keep my blood pressure up. Congratulations."

He looks flustered for a minute, and Katara curses the spirits. The red on his cheeks only seemed to make him more striking under the iridescent lighting. She uses that disconcerting feeling to fuel more of her frustration.

"I don't see your name on this particular spot."

A bitter laugh escaped her, and she flipped the edge of the mat up. 

"Ka-ta-ra." She emphasizes the syllables as she points them out, written in her tight hand, on the bottom of the mat he was perched upon. 

For a second time, he flustered. 

"Oh." This time, however, he quickly moved off of it, a hand to the back of his neck. "I'm- I'm sorry. Didn't realize…"

She snorted, still not done with his brand of arrogance.

"You must be pretty narcissistic," she snarls, "to think that any girl who nears you must be ‘interested’." 

"It's not- I'm not-," he stutters for a moment, before regaining his composure. “Anything I say is going to make me sound like more of an asshole, isn’t it?”

A brow raised over a sea-blue eye, and he sighed. 

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were here. I just figured somebody left the equipment after they were done.”

Her frustration fizzled a little under his apology. 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess I could see how you would think that.” Her eyes scanned the free weight area, strewn with discarded equipment like dirty tissues. 

Sighing, she deflated. Blue eyes looked up at him, finally catching a honest look at the man she was unexpectedly not as frustrated with. His dark hair was cut relatively close, seemingly unaware of any attempt to tame it’s aggressive angles. Amber eyes followed her motions, one of them wrapped in an old, angry scar that ran back into his sideburn, hairline, finishing on the other side of his ear. Dressed for the gym, she was able to appreciate his evident focus on lean versus bulk. And appreciate, she did. She dropped her eyes again, reminding herself of his protest when she first approached him. Jet had been enough of a narcissistic asshole for her lifetime. She didn’t need a new one. 

But he had apologized and did seem properly chastised. Looking around, she noticed that there was no other open spaces for him to work in.

“Listen, I don’t mind you using it. Just- just let me run my sets? Not, like, sit here in between them?”

“Really?” a small smile pulled at one corner of his lips. He seemed genuinely surprised. “Thanks.”

She waved it off, keeping her head down, as she took over the space, and he moved on to another machine.

An hour later, she wrapped up her mat, replaced the equipment, and moved towards the door. He was on the treadmill near the door, and as she passed him, she nodded. A small smile pulled at his lips and he returned the expression. 

Buzzing filled her pocket, and she glanced at her phone. 

_Toph_.

“Hey, Sugar Queen, we still on for tonight?”

* * *

He was a bit breathless. It was hard to tell if it was from having been sick for the week prior and thereby out of practice, or if it was the brilliant blue eyes of the woman slipping out the door. She had nodded at him, and a glimmer of hope clung to him. Maybe he hadn’t completely screwed up that interaction.

“Yeah, we are. I’m excited! We going to meet at--?” her voice was clear, since he had kept one earbud out since they had first crossed paths. Incredulousness laced her words. “You’re picking me up? I’m hoping you’re not the one driving…”

Her voice faded away, and he couldn’t help the smile that stayed on his face, even as he replaced the second earbud and continued his workout.

* * *

“So where is it we’re heading?” Katara glanced at her passenger in the front seat, but the young woman’s eyes were unfocused and hazy as she stared blankly ahead. When she spoke, however, her tone belied her strength. 

“I already told you, Kat- _uh_.” Her emphasis merely snapped the blue-eyed girl’s dark brows together, but she continued. “It’s an old friend of mine- he’s playing at some small bar. The one we used to go to on Thursdays when we were all in college together.” 

“I’m guessing he’s a new addition to the line up?”

“Nah.” A smirk pulled at her lips. “I just never found a reason to go see him before.”

“Thats… sweet, Toph.”

“I know. So considerate, right?”

A sigh escaped the older woman’s lips. “At least tell me if it’s on the milder scale for your music?”

Toph wasn’t known for having the most laid back choices in music. Her worries were slightly alleviated when the blind girl scoffed loudly.

“No, he’s more your speed. Likes some of the heavier music, though, but only plays the nicer stuff.”

“So, covers?”

Her head cocked to the side. “Maybe one or two. From what I hear, his original music is actually starting to get popular.”

As she pulled into the parking lot, Katara bit back a groan. Had it always been this busy? She found herself asking Toph that. For the asking, all she received was a head shake back. 

“Nah, but we also came on Thursdays. Fridays are a whole other beast. And besides, I told you he’s getting more popular.”

Suddenly regretting her decision to come out that night, Katara turned the car off, but only started to move to get out of it when she spotted Sokka and Suki waving frantically after her. They had arrived earlier, and together. As she reached them, Katara sighed, and Sokka wrapped the arm he didn’t have around his girlfriend, to pull his baby sister closer.

“You’ll have fun, Katuh. I know it’s stupid busy, but it’s going to be fun. Just, ya know, relax. Have a drink. Listen to decent music.”

As the doors slipped open, her eyes suddenly grew wide as she instantly recognized the chords. Katara slipped away from her brother’s arm. The words to the songs were already on her lips, and she was surprised to find that she knew this band. She wasn’t one to obsess over the musicians, but their music was a whole other thing. They were an indie band, unknown, unrecognized, so she had never expected to come across them live. Despite her desire to bob and weave to see and get closer to the stage, it seemed like the crowd pushed in on them more, and she was impeded. A shot of disappointment shot through her as the music died off, and the drummer announced a break. Turning back to her friends, she dejectedly joined them. 

“Oh Katara, don’t get so down.” Toph smirked, propping her dirty sandals up onto the table. “You know that was their first set. Besides, the lead singer is coming this way as we speak.”

Blue eyes rolled hard into her skull, and she let out a scoff. “Toph, you know I don’t care about the musicians. I just love their music.”

“Uh-huh. Well, we’ll test that theory right now. He’s headed this way”

“Your friend?” Sokka asked.

Toph nodded in response.

Katara turned in time to see a dark head dip and weave through the crowd, along with flashes of a dark button up, sleeves rolled up, and fitted jeans. However, when he finally slipped out of the crowd to join them at the high top they had claimed, it took all of her willpower to bite back the laugh that threatened to escape.

“Hey Toph.” His voice had an interesting grate, she had to admit, but she wasn’t sure she was quite over the way they had been introduced before. But if that was anywhere on his mind at the moment, he was good at not showing it. Instead, he followed the line of their friends as Toph introduced them. When it wrapped around to her, the closest to them both, she found herself sitting straight. 

“And this is Ka--”

“We’ve actually already met.”

A cocked head told her of confusion, and his eyes scanned her for a moment. Something like a glimmer of recognition started to blossom in the gold of his eyes. With a motion that was more abrupt, she gathered up her loose curls and pulled them back, as if to put them up into a ponytail. His eyes widened. It was impressive the difference a hairstyle could have on recognition.

“Oh. Yeah. Hey again. It was… Katara, was it?”

“You never did give me your name, you know.”


	2. get me out of my mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt is Counterpart, and I decided to be a little vague on how that prompt fits, but... yeah.

“It’s- It’s Zuko.” A hesitant hand shot out. 

For a moment, he watched her study his hand, and he felt his stomach plummet. There had been a hope that maybe his stupidity from earlier had been forgiven, but her hesitance seemed to prove otherwise. Seemingly making up her mind, she met his hand with her own. 

“Nice to put a name to a face. Now you can easily tell what’s my equipment.”

A hand rubbed at the base of his neck.

“Listen, I’m sorry--”

“Stop apologizing. I was messing with you.”

Despite knowing that it would have no effect on the youngest woman, he still rose a brow after his old friend across the table from him. 

“Well, I see that Toph found the right kind of people to be around, then.”

Sokka snorted. “Now if only we could get her to stop with the nicknames, it’d be great.”

“Just cause you hate yours, Snoozles, doesn't mean the rest do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I think it’s an adorable nickname, Sokka.” Suki tried to placate.

“You’re just saying that!”

“I don’t know, ‘Sugar Queen’ feels a little more degrading.” Zuko’s fellow gym-goer seemed to lament.

“Don’t forget ‘Sweetness’.” A voice rounded them and a slight young man moved to join them, his characteristic orange hoodie pulled up. “But they’re all better than mine.”

“Aang, buddy!” Sokka cried and rounded the table to envelope him in a brotherly hug. “You made it!”

“Yeah, I managed to get out of my last shift at the office. Boss took pity on me.”

Katara felt a soft smile grace her face. “I’m glad you were able to come.” 

“Katara! It’s been so long!” He moved to wrap her into a friendly hug, his grin growing. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Me too.”

Zuko’s curiosity was still peaked, so he asked the blind woman quietly. “What is his nickname?”

A wicked grin split her face. “Twinkletoes.” 

Zuko snorted. Knowing Toph, there was a glorious story behind each of the nicknames. He knew that his did. 

Katara seemed to think similarly, and turned a raised brow towards him. "Wait- you're one of her old friends. Do you have a nickname?"

"Yeah."

"Sparky." Toph smirked. 

Zuko leveled a finger at her threateningly. "Not a word, Toph. Not. A. Word."

  
  


Toph’s snicker turned the rest of the group’s curious gazes towards him. Before she could say anything, however, he shook his head. “Don’t you dare, Toph. You torment me enough.”

“There’s a story here, I can feel it.” The brother of Katara leaned forward conspiratorially. “I  _ will  _ find it out eventually.”

Zuko raised a brow. “We’ll see.”

The newcomer turned to the most recent addition to the group, extending a hand. “Name’s Zuko. You?”

An enthusiastic grin lit up the younger man’s face. “Aang. Toph and I went to high school together.”

“Excuse me for saying it, but you don’t look like you're from the Earth Kingdom.”

Aang laughed, something that seemed to come easily to him. “I’m not. Transfer student.” 

“Ah.”

“Nice try at evasion, music boy.” Sokka narrowed his eyes at Zuko. “But you’re not getting out of a story that quickly.”

With a raised hand, Katara dismissed her brother. “You’re impossible, Sokka.”

“I wanna hear it!” 

“Ugh, and I just want a drink.”

Zuko interrupted, an eager look in his eye. “Yes, please. Listen, I owe you still.”

He turned an amber eye to the young woman, as it caught the dim light of the club, and Katara found her heart rate starting to rise. 

“Drink’s on me?” A soft lilt to his voice tugged at her, and she bit the corner of her lip. 

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

“Perfect!” Suki suddenly jumped in. “We have bets to make!”

Rounding, Katara turned exasperated eyes to her friends. “No, c’mon guys!”

Suki raised a finger to stop her. “You know this is the deal.”

“I thought we all grew out of this - when we graduated! You know, _ became adults _ .”

Sokka scoffed. “Speak for yourself.”

“Guys…” 

“Do I want to know?” Zuko found himself lost in the storm of familiar old friends.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Katara and Suki spoke spontaneously. The former sighed. 

“Let’s just go get that drink before I strangle my friends.”

“Yes, go!” Toph yelled after them. “Otherwise you might throw the bet!”

Blue eyes rolled hard.

* * *

“So how long do you think it’ll take for her to connect that he’s the singer for the band that was just playing some of her favorite music?”

“Not long enough.”

“End of his next set? I put 5 down.”

“End of her  _ drink _ . I’ll match you.”

* * *

Leaving the crew to their own devices, the two fellow gym-goers made their way to the bar. As much as Zuko enjoyed playing, this crowd was not his scene. Maybe during his college years, a tight pack of skin, liquor and innuendo would have been thrilling to him, but the past few years had been filled with a milder crowd, with less press of flesh and more healthful imbibing. However, that drink sounded amazing, and the company… well, it wasn’t something to scoff at either. His mind wandered back to her, as she trailed in the wake he left through the crowd. 

There was a definite difference between the stormy-eyed woman at the gym and the pleasant woman with a gentle laugh at the corner of her lips, that Toph introduced him to. He wondered what would be closer to the truth about her. While he would have been willing to talk with her as they made their way through, the loud bass of the music and the press of people drowned out any conversation on the path towards the bar. It would have to wait till they arrived.

But as soon as Katara stepped up to the bar, the bartender made his way over, a massive smile lighting up his face.

“Katara!” he exclaimed.

“Teo! I didn’t realize you were still here!” Leaning off of his crutches, the young man pulled her into a familiar hug. “Don’t tell me Jin is here still, too?”

“Sure is! If we left, I think the whole place would fall apart.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. How have you been?”

The two began to chat amicably, and Zuko leaned back, feeling no desire to invade. Instead, he took the moment to consider the young woman before him. Dressed practically, there was a flow about her - she moved like the sea, in and out, never really stopping. Her laugh, as it reached his ears, was clear and bright, like the sun off the water at midday. There was an edge though-- he could see it in the unpredictable moments, like the eddies of currents under the waves. Curiosity whispered in his ear- how was she in a storm? He had a sensation he knew. Slowly, he returned to the conversation as Teo threw an apologetic look her way. 

“... seems to like terrorizing our Thursday nights only, so far.”

“I’m amazed he’s out.”

“He swears he’s changed, but I don’t know, man.”

“Well, if you see him, please let me know so I can leave immediately.”

Teo put two fingers to his forehead in mock salute.

“So what can I get you two?”

Katara turned, her brow raising in question. A smirk pulled at his own lips. 

“Whiskey for me, and whatever she’s having. Put it on my tab.”

“Same as always?” Teo asked after Zuko. He nodded, but Teo was stopped short by a gesture by Katara.

She leaned towards Zuko. “Ya know, you can find out a lot about a person by the whiskey they drink.”

“Oh?” 

“Yeah.” Her brow rose, seemingly curious to see if he would take the bait. He did.

“Mind if I take a guess about you?”

She shrugged, turning away from him to stare out into the crowd. He thought there was a flash of a smile at the corner of her lips. “Why not.”

* * *

Molten eyes caught in the dim light, and Katara caught herself getting lost in them. Taking a deep breath, she turned away, eyes trying to focus on nothing and everything that wasn’t him.  _ Spirits _ , she thought, _ I haven’t even had a drink yet… _ the words that slipped out were forcibly casual. 

“Why not.”

What was it about this borderline narcissist that attracted her? Musician- Toph had mentioned that he was a musician. Vaguely, she wondered if his set was coming up soon. She was curious to hear what he played. But, no. That wasn’t what it was. Her eyes slowly rebelled so that, when he moved to give their order quietly to Teo, they tracked his motion. Giving herself the rebellion, she sunk into it willingly for the moment. Handsome? Of course. It had almost excused his assumption back at the gym hours prior, but not quite. The scar had added a level of mysteriousness to his features, but again, it didn’t ring true.

Maybe- maybe it had to do with his reaction. She had jumped, getting angry, tempestuous, but instead of getting roped in like a boat on the sea, he had… taken the hit. Waited for the storm to pass, like the sun behind storm clouds. Apologized, tried to make the wrong right. She couldn’t help but remember the small smile he had offered her when she invited him to continue using her equipment. It was such a small thing, those little moments, but she had a sneaking sensation that was merely an indication of his overall personality. Had it been Jet…

Katara shook away the meanderings of her mind and eyes, in time to feel him bump gently at her elbow. He had appeared with two caramel colored glasses in his hands. With a determined look, he handed her the darker of the two.

* * *

“When is the first kiss?”

“Fiver on tonight.”

“Fiver on first real date.”

“You think it’ll get that far?”

“You think it  _ won’t _ ?”

* * *

“So you think you know me?” she pried playfully, holding the rich caramel liquid up to the light.

“We’ll see, won’t we?”

A glint in her eye, and she offered the side of her glass, and he tapped it with his own. He watched her with his periphery, gauging her response as he raised his own glass to his lips. As the liquid reached her tongue, she drew her lips into a tight line, but her eyes fluttered close. She exhaled as soon as the swallow slid past her tongue. 

He had chosen a rye whiskey- it’s profile more peppery, a bit more biting. It was an older year, so the cloying bitterness was mostly gone, leaving a pleasurable warmth, he knew. His was not; he'd chosen a bourbon for the night - a much smoother, sweeter profile. He had enough fiery things in his life, his whiskey didn’t need to be another one. The thought paused him for a moment. Maybe she was right about whiskey being a good read on personality.

A bated breath sat at his lips, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Well?”

Finally, a bright eye turned to him. “This is the good stuff. You know your whiskey. Rye?”

The dark headed man nodded, his lips pulling gently up. 

“What do you have-- no wait,” she stopped herself, putting her free hand on his elbow, “let me guess.”

Her eyes roamed him freely, and it took all of his willpower not to blush furiously at her methodical and intense observation of him. 

“Something with a sweeter profile. Bourbon?”

“Got it in one.” His eyes sparkled mischievously as he leaned in towards her. “So what does that tell you?” 

“Well, bourbon is sweeter, smoother. A good drink for soothing the soul. I’m sure this seems like a pot-shot, but…” her hand gestured obscurely towards his face, “I think somebody who’s drinking bourbon by choice has had some pretty recent excitement in their lives. Bourbon is good for smoothing the rough edges.”

He couldn’t prevent the twist at his lips. If only she knew just how true that was…

“What do you think of me, to get me a rye?”

A small buzz started behind his lips. While this drink might have been her first of the night, he had been slowly imbibing as he had played. Putting down the bourbon, he swallowed hard, trying to clear the fog trying to settle over his brain- there was still at least one more set to be done. But in that moment, as sea-blue eyes sat too close in the dun of the bar lights. His thoughts were scattered and it took some time to gather them. Her gaze didn’t waiver as she waited for his response.

“Feisty. You are willing to stand up for what you want or what you think is right. You’ve got spirit- you take up a stranger on an offer just to try something different.”

“You got all that from our short interaction at the gym?”

“And how you respond to people- you’re- well, you’re interesting to watch.”

Her laugh bounced in his mind. “Phrasing, Zuko!” 

A blush started to rise at his throat and he forcibly swallowed it down.

“That’s not what I meant!”

The laugh only grew stronger. A hand pinched at the bridge of his nose. 

“I’m not that- I’m- That’s not-” He stammered and for the second time in 24 hours, he found himself at a loss to respond. Ironically enough, he didn’t dislike it when Katara was involved. 

“You need to stop taking things so seriously, Zuko!” Her words were laced with a laugh. Eyes glinting mischievously, she nudged him with her elbow. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you never pulled a ‘that’s what she said’ joke.”

“Erm…”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Well…” 

“Where did you grow up? With Toph’s parents?” She paused for a moment, her head cocked and the overhead lights caught her lines in a pleasing way. It allowed his mind to wander to other, less than wholesome things, and Zuko glared at the glass of bourbon that now sat half-empty. When did that happen? “No, If you were anywhere with Toph, you’d curse like a sailor.”

“Truth.” A smile pulled at his lips, and he opened them to begin, even as he was interrupted.

A goateed young man had stepped up to him, a hand on his shoulder. 

“Set’s about to start.”

“Right.” Zuko nodded to the darker skinned woman. “Listen, I’ve got to go. But, uh…after?”

Her smile was troublesome, and he knew it. But it was the kind of trouble that he found himself being drawn to, like a sailor to a siren.

“I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention: The title of this work is a lyric from Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford & Sons, last chapter's title came from Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. This one came from thnks fr th mmrs by Fall Out Boy. When I said that I would be using angsty music from my teens and early twenties, I meant it. By the time I'm done with this story, you'll have a playlist from that era, I swear. Basically, this batch of music is a playlist that I think Zuko would have had at that age. Expect Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park, Eve 6, Blink-182, etc. 
> 
> If anybody is interested, I'll make up a youtube playlist associated with this story- the one I have been listening to while brainstorming.


	3. am I more than you bargained for yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not going to lie- this chapter made me really nervous. Heck, I’m still nervous. The interaction with Azula, even the last half, which I loved writing and blasted it out in one sit down, makes me nervous. I’m trying not to make them OOC, but they’re also solidly adults, and also very solidly drunk, the lot of them. This one was tough. I hope it’s not too ooc.... any feedback would definitely help!

It’s as she orders the second drink, while idly talking with Teo, and now Jin, that it occurs to her. He was about to play. That was obvious. Toph had mentioned that the musicians that had been playing when they entered still had at least one more set. While she and Zuko had been discussing the philosophical choices of certain whiskeys, there had been no live music. 

As the drummer - now identified as Jin’s boyfriend, Haru - spoke once more into his mic, she watched closely as Zuko sat at the forefront, quiet, reserved, but very obviously the main guitarist and singer. Maybe, she thought, though the thought thrilled her, maybe she had missed the other set while they had been talking. Maybe he was not the main singer of one of her favorite bands.

Then the first few notes danced across the air, and Katara could not prevent the laugh that escaped her. Eyes still glinting, she turned and spotted her friends across the room. Toph’s grin was wide, and Sokka was bemoaning his fate, as he dug out a five-note. Meeting a laughing Suki’s eye, she extended her slender middle finger, raising it clearly for them to see. Suki only laughed harder, before turning to Toph to explain her motion.

Katara decided to ignore them, only as they deserved, and turned back to the musician with the husky voice, sipping happily at her drink. 

* * *

It was easy to spot her in the crowd. It was more difficult to not stare. There was something to her that moved in the light, and the warmth in his chest grew. She moved and swayed to the sound of the music, but hovered still by the bar. In one moment, he could swear he saw her lips mouth his words. She… knew his music? 

He desperately reached for the bourbon as the song ended, swallowing it in one shot with a wince. Gesturing to Jin, who was now chatting up Katara, he requested a refill. He was going to need every bit of liquid courage at this rate.

* * *

The set was over, and the members of the band thanked the crowd before beginning their breakdown. Long past midnight, the crowd had begun to disperse. Zuko moved to where he had last seen Katara, his guitar now in its case across his back. Dread knotted in his belly, however, when he neared the bar, and found her nowhere. The look of dejection in his eyes must have brought pity to Teo, for he caught the scarred man’s gaze and pointed him towards the table that Toph and her new friends had filled. As he neared, though, he slowed, his eyes suddenly drawn to a motion near the table.

Like a pygmy puma, they stalked the table, it’s inhabitants unaware of the deadly amber eyes staring them down like prey. Instantly, he knew his appearance would only exacerbate the situation, and instead Zuko chose to hang back, a silent sentinel in case he was called upon.

“Well, well. The Beifong’s have officially stopped trying with you, haven’t they, Toph?”

“Oh look!” The blind girl was full of false enthusiasm. “It’s Azzy!” 

She exaggerated the ‘z’s, drawing them into softer sounds. Suki snorted. 

Suddenly getting serious, Toph’s face fell flat. “Get lost. And take your fan club with you.”

The two girls bracketing her - Zuko knew Ty Lee and Mai well - shared a glance, before following the prompts of the leader. Azula refused to be sent away.

“Wait.” Katara’s voice. He couldn’t see her face, but there was an edge he had only heard once from her.  _ Narcissistic asshole _ floated unheard in his brain, and the alcohol-addlement convoluted the moment, but her voice brought him back. “Azula, has it really been so long?”

The puma eyes turned to the source of the voice, finding a new target. Zuko felt his heart sink. He knew what it was to be in front of her. At 31, he still walked on eggshells around her- when they rarely talked. 

“Oh, look, girls! It’s the Fish!”

Azula… knew Katara?

“Don’t you have better things to do? I thought you were supposed to be running your daddy’s company.”

“Well, there’s no crime in finding a little  _ fun _ .” Her words, exaggerated by a hip cock in her skin tight minidress left little imagination as to the kind of fun she was looking for. Scanning over the table, her eyes fell on Sokka. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

There was a purr in her words, and both Suki and Katara met her with a growl. 

Feigning surprise, she reached for her chest, hands clasped. “Oh! I just assumed that since Suki was open to dating him after what happened with Yue, she would be okay if I lined myself up next for his attention.”

Suki was out of her chair, moving straight for the younger woman, before being intercepted by Katara. A dark hand laid flat on her friend’s sternum, solid. A look passed between them, and Suki sagged. The smaller woman turned back to Azula. 

“What do you want, leech?”

“Leech?” Eyes flashed, and she bared her teeth at the biologist. “How dare you?!”

“Leech. One who sucks off of others to survive. Let’s see… Your daddy’s money and influence, thank goodness, have kept you from having to work a day in your life--”

“--Unlike your uneducated simpleton of a fa--”

“-- I wasn’t done.” Katara spoke over her, voice like iron. Zuko couldn’t prevent the smirk that pulled at his lips. Earlier he had viewed her as the sea, fluid, rolling. Now… Now she was a tempest, and she controlled it from the eye, with a cold clarity. “You suck off of others to feel what it means to live, trying to leave them as husks. You and your father. I feel for the rest of your family.”

The final jab was all it took. Azula sneered at her, eyes growing feral. “What would you know, Fish?! All you’ve known is a father that’s a failure, and a mother who couldn’t get out of poverty enough to save her own life.”

If he had viewed her as a tempest before, he couldn’t quantify the damage she could deal upon Azula in that moment. He knew nothing of Katara- of Sokka - of their family. But in a glance he knew two very important things. 

One, Azula knew where to swing for the most pain and knew about their lives. Were they old schoolmates? It was about the only thing he could figure for them to cross paths. 

And two: One did not talk bad about Sokka and Katara’s family. Ever.

Katara turned, and her eyes instantly locked on her brother’s face. In response to whatever she saw there, he watched her expression grow stony. In a flash, she turned and planted a closed fist punch to the side of Azula’s cheek. 

A roar escaped his sister, and Katara turned back towards the table in time to see Sokka nod, hear Toph crow, and Aang groan. She glanced up and met Zuko’s eye as he hovered behind Aang’s shoulder, a bemused expression on his face.

* * *

There was something in his look, her foggy brain tried to tell her, but she was too busy trying to get it to tell her what to do next. The alcohol had made it a challenge to think clearly, but it did give her a moment of clarity, as she felt the pain shoot up her arm. In her periphery, she watched Azula’s minions haul her up and back. She thought there was a whisper of an apology from someone who sounded like Ty Lee, but when she turned back, the young woman was helping Azula move away. The pain flared again. Katara unclenched and clenched her hand, experimentally. No bones broken, she could tell, but it was going to smart for the rest of the week.

“Ya know,” she drawled out, “they say not to hit with a closed fist--”

Suki interrupted. “‘They’ being your sifu?”

“- Yes. But  _ spirits _ , there are times where it just feels so damn good.”

Zuko moved up to the table. 

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I guarantee she’s calling the cops now.”

They followed his extended arm to where Azula sat, cellphone to her ear, proclaiming her indignance. 

“If you don’t want to have to deal with that tonight, it might be good to get out of here.”

Nodding, the group quickly snagged Jin, asking to settle their tabs in the morning, which she readily agreed to. They had seen the showdown.

Sokka turned to Katara and Toph. “Suki is my DD tonight. Are you guys good to drive?”

Toph laughed heartily. Katara weakly shook her head. 

“One too many whiskeys, I’m afraid.”

“Alright,” Sokka began to make some mental gymnastics. “I can take one more in the truck. We can snag Toph. Aang, how about--”

“I took the bus.” His voice was apologetic, but Zuko stepped up.

“I don’t know how far away you live, Katara, but I can walk you?”

Something sparkled in her eyes, and she smiled. “Not too far. You had too much too?”

“Yeah, but I walked here.”

“Well, it’s not safe for a single man to walk home alone.” Mischievousness. That’s what sparkled in her eyes, he determined. Zuko liked it. “All sorts of unseemly folks about at this time of night.”

“I’d be grateful for your protection, then.” He dipped into an overly formal bow, his own eyes glinting back at her. The liquid courage was finally setting into his bones. 

He could hear Sokka snort. “Alright, then just be careful. Let me know when you get home, Katuh.”

A smirk pulled at her lips, as she moved to grab Zuko’s proffered elbow. “Yes, Mom.”

The sound of sirens sent both groups scrambling, but Teo waved to Zuko and Katara emphatically. With a set of gestures, he indicated a back door, to which the pair rapidly moved towards. Emerging on to the back alley, they spotted the flash of lights, hand now in hand, before turning and fleeing the opposite direction.

Many turns, twists and last minute feints, they found themselves completely lost. Oddly enough, this was humorous to them.

“Do- do you know where we are?” She pants. 

“Not a clue.” The laugh dances in his words.

“If I can just find a street sign…”

The buzz is still in his fingertips, his lips, his ears. Instead of letting her pull him out into the streetlight, trying to reorient them, he tugs her gently back. A smile pulled at her lips as she turned back to him. 

“What?”

“Tonight was fun.”

“Yeah, yeah it was.”

He had stopped tugging her back, but she continued moving steadily towards him. 

“You liked my music?”

“Your music? You wrote it?”

He nodded meekly.

“I’ve heard it many times- and yes, I really like it.”

A humm escaped his lips. Suddenly, she was in front of him, mere inches parting them, and they both paused before the other. Her mouth worked silently for a moment, before closing. His curiosity got the better of him.

“What?”

A blush touched her cheeks, enough that he could see it even in the dark.

“Nothing, nothing-- I just- I’m not a groupie.”

His laugh peeled around the empty street they found themselves on. 

“I can tell!”

A half-hearted swat at his shoulder, and she pouted. 

“With an attitude like that, you won’t get any, either!”

His laugh grew even louder.

“Fine!” Turning around, she moved away, but he wasn’t about to let that moment pass. 

A hand slipped out, snagging her elbow and turning her back to him, and her tipsy state toppled her into his chest, and forcing his back against a wall. His laugh faded, now a soft chuckle in his chest. She could feel it under her hands, the only thing now between them. As it faded, a closed hand rose to her face, his thumb gently caressing the swell of her cheek. While the mirth stayed dancing behind his eyes, he stilled, and she leaned into his touch, her own eyes fluttering closed against it. Slowly, glacially slow to Katara, his fingers curled under her chin, gently angling her lips towards him. His warm breath, laced with rich spices and bourbon, washed over her, and she sighed, finally melting against him. 

It was a tentative kiss, light and gentle, a mere brushing over hers, as if asking a simple question. A shiver slid down her spine, and a tingle ran to her fingers and toes. He pulled back slightly. When he whispered her name, she could feel his lips form the word. Damn, he was good at this, and all restraint crashed down around her. She closed the gap, but she wasn’t looking for something gentle anymore. The hunger was voracious, and she let it bleed into the kiss. Finger tips in hair, pressure at her hips, caresses up her spine, she was coming undone. But as quickly as the tide rose, it broke. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers. 

“I know where we are.” Her words broke his reverie. The chuckle started in his belly.

“Then lead the way.”

* * *

Stumbling, staggering, they made their way towards her apartment. And if someone had seen them stop between streetlights to fan the sparks into flames, they said nothing, and merely shuffled out of their way. Finally, she slipped her key into the lock of her apartment door, Zuko’s arms around her waist, his nose buried into the crook of her neck, where he continued to distract her with small kisses on the open skin. Katara spun in his arms, a smile giddily at her lips. As he raised his eyes to meet hers, she felt she could swim in lava in that moment, and it would feel cool. The wave rose again, and she ran her hands into his short hair, reveling in the tingling feeling it gave to her fingers, as he leaned in to meet her lips. 

But it wasn’t to be a long kiss, so she broke away as smoothly as a few whiskeys on an empty stomach afforded her. With a hand behind her back, she opened the door, stepping back into her doorway. She could feel his desire to keep ahold of her, but he let her slip from his hands. As soon as she was away from him, he leaned a hand against her door frame, looking down at her as she peered at him, her door now slotted between them.

“Thank you for walking me home, Zuko.”

He hummed again, a giddy smile on his face. It took all of her willpower not to jump right back into his arms. 

“So, I’ll see you soon.” A smile was still plastered on her slightly swollen lips. “Right?”

“Definitely.”

“Will you be okay getting home?’

“Mmhmm.”

“Well,” she leaned forward a little, stopping just shy of his lips, “you better go, then.”

His eyes fluttered closed, and she allowed herself a self-satisfied smile. Katara was just as capable of leaving him speechless as he did her. On a whim, she suddenly pulled away, stepping inside her apartment just enough to grab a pen. 

“I’m sure this is so very mature…” she murmured, but even to herself, the words held no strength. Stepping back around the door, she twisted to the arm propped against the door jam, jotting out a number on the soft part of his forearm. Her smile was solidly planted on her face. Tapping where she had written it, blue eyes drilled into his. Evidently seeing what she was looking for, she nodded and stepped in one more time. 

“Goodnight, Zuko.” 

Her lips hovered close to his, but as he went to lean in, she stepped away, playfully smirking. She slid behind the door and closed it before he could respond. The perpetual chuckle that tried to escape him all evening rose once more, and he quietly answered to her door. 

“Goodnight, Katara.”

On the other side, the woman sat propped against the cold wood, trying to soothe her staccato of breath. His words were faint, but she made them out, along with the steady step away, as he left.

This evening had been one of the most unrestrained moments in her life, full of snap decisions, good surprises and gold. No, not gold, she decided. Amber, warm honey-- those were better descriptors.  _ Tui and La _ , she was stricken and she knew it. It would be a while before she could finally sleep, but she made certain to text Sokka the bare minimum (“Home.”) and deal with the aftermath of his cascade of questions in the morning.

* * *

Zuko collapsed onto his bed, flicking his shoes off, but caring about nothing else. His mind swam with the waters of all the world. And yet, it wasn't cold and wet that settled in his chest. It was a flame. Raising his arm, he spotted the faint lines in the dark on his forearm. 

The spark had been made. He just hoped that she would be able to keep it under control enough that he wouldn’t be consumed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from Sugar, We’re Goin Down by Fall Out Boy


	4. she moves through moonbeams slowly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, it's only two days late.... -.-" I've had about everything I can think of go wrong. As it is, I'm eating into my sleep to finish this. I am going to warn you that this is the last "fluff" chapter. I mean, I've got to bring the angst in somewhere, right?

“The shipment of Jasmine is delayed again.”

Across from him, in the seeming anonymity of stainless silver and terra cotta, his uncle moved around the industrial kitchen with the grace of experience. At that moment, they could have been in any kitchen anywhere in the world. Since the morning crowd had long dispersed, and the lunch crowd still working, they were the only two staffing the shop, with just a spattering of customers in the dining area. The illusion remained fully in place, and Zuko could almost imagine walking into the dining area, only to see a Fire Nation cityscape in it’s windows. 

At his proclamation about the jasmine, his Uncle Iroh had his stolid demeanor broken. 

“How can we call ourselves the  _ Jasmine _ Dragon, when we have no  _ Jasmine _ ??” If Zuko didn’t know any better, he may have thought that his uncle sounded emotional.

A sigh escaped him. “I told you, Uncle. Our supplier is citing droughts in the region, stating that all of their customers are suffering shortages.”

As the older man turned, he produced a steaming pot, and two cups, clean and prepared, and set them down on the steel top between them. Before Zuko, papers were scattered in an organized chaos. He had a grasp on keeping books, but there were times that his focus was a beast incapable of being reigned in. His growing headache hadn’t helped. And then there was the cause of the headache- that borderline nausea, characteristic of a mild hangover. Absent-mindedly, he scratched at the spot on his inner forearm where ink had sat overnight. He had been mortified to find it smeared beyond recognition upon waking up. One of the many downsides, he found, of sleeping hot, included the fact that it was rare to wake up without a sheen of sweat. Between the normal motions of sleep, the sheen of sweat, and the gel qualities of the pen she had used, it was rendered illegible. He had been beyond frustrated. It didn’t, however, keep her off of his mind.

“I would offer some from my stores, but I’m completely out.”

Katara. She kept trying to swim before his open eyes. There was so much that intrigued him, and he was like a thirsty man in a desert, with just the hint of water in the air. If he just could taste, get a little bit on his tongue…

“I understand, Nephew. We will have to press on, even in this time of trial.”

Zuko nodded, barely noting his uncle’s words. This was not missed.

“Usually, my fiery tempered nephew would protest about my melodramatics at this point.” With a raised brow, the older man poured the tea, offering the steaming cup to the younger, who seemed engrossed in one particular line on a singular page among the throngs scattered in front of him. Unseeingly, Zuko retrieved the cup, and instantly brought it to his lips. Far too hot, it scolded, and he jumped, brow furrowing in frustration. Jarred from his reverie, he drew his lips into a thin line, the remaining parts of the sip jumping away at the motion, and splattering upon the paper. In irritation, he snagged the page, using his pant leg to dab at the liquid, in an attempt to salvage the ink. 

“You seem very distracted, Nephew.”

A glower set over his brow. “I just spilled scalding tea on an important notice. Can’t imagine what you’re talking about, Uncle.”

His own tea resting in his fingers, Iroh studied Zuko intently, seeing more clearly than he cared for. Finally, he broke the silence. 

“How did your evening go?”

Now flustered, the younger man shuffled the pages anxiously, attempting to herd them like polar cats. His uncle’s question stilled him instantly, and he brought his gaze round to bare,

“It was… good.”

“Eventful?”

“Surprisingly,... yes.”

A hum escaped Iroh’s lips, and he sat back, knowing that when Zuko was ready to speak, he would, if at all. Instead, he watched his nephew once more return to his attempt at organization, this time moving more steadily and slowly. In a moment of startling clarity, Zuko could hear her laugh. A hot sigh escaped his lips, frustration and irritation at the lost number returning to his mind. Then he heard it again. 

“Oh!” Zuko was startled when his uncle jumped with sudden vigour. “It seems one of my favorite customers is here.”

As he passed, Iroh stuck a gentle elbow into his nephew’s ribs. 

“This is the one I’ve been talking to you about.”

Rolling his eyes, he watched Iroh exit out of the kitchen through a traditional curtain. Instead of following, he peeped out of the pass through at the young woman Iroh spoke of. This mysterious woman, her back turned to the counter, was unheeding of his gaze. Half pulled back, a cascade of dark brown tresses fell to her waist line. Headphones crested over her head, and evidently currently active, since she seemed unaware of his uncle’s appearance behind the counter. Zuko’s breath caught in his throat when he heard the voice behind the curtain of hair.

How could he cross paths with her two days in a row?

“... Sokka. I haven’t heard from him.” Pause. “You, of all people, should know how this works. Isn’t there some kind of stupid rule about how long you’re supposed to wait?” 

She was evidently on the phone. His uncle paused before interrupting her, letting her continue her conversation. 

“Listen, I’m going to see you in just a few minutes… No! Of course I don’t want to talk about it with Dad around! I just…” She sighed. “Fine. I’ll see you. Did you want me to order you anything?... Alright, I’ll see you then.”

Zuko slipped a little further back into the kitchen, trying to keep hidden but still being able to keep an eye on her. It was surprising how daylight made one a coward about what one 

was comfortable at night. But as his uncle gently tapped her shoulder, he held his breath. She turned with a bright smile on her face, and he couldn’t stop the matching smile pulling at his lips. 

With a single motion, she evidently ended the call, and removed the headphones from her ears.

“Good morning, Iroh!”

“Miss Katara! I must say that your definition of morning seems very fluid.”

Her laugh comes easy, and Zuko soaks in the sound. 

“I am a complete night cat-owl. You know that!”

“Yes, my dear. But it brings me great humor to see you emerge at the break of dawn one morning, and then scuttle in here just shy of midday the next.”

“I had a long night. My friends all wanted to go out. I think we all forgot we’re near our thirties.”

“An eventful night?” 

Her smile stayed planted, but her eyes seemed to be looking far away. She hummed an affirmative. His uncle only laughed.

“Nearing your thirties, but still starry eyed, my dear?”

That mischievous glint-  _ that damn mischievous streak _ \- in her eyes, struck again, and it took all of his willpower not to round the corner. Instead, he started to plot.

* * *

“What can I say, Iroh? I’m a closet romantic.”

“There are worse traits.” A warm smile peered up at her. “Is there something I can start for you?”

“Yes!” She was broken free of her reverie, and she perked up. “I meant to ask, do you still brew lapsang souchong?”

A brilliant smile lit up his face.

“Only for my special guests. And you, my dear Katara, are a special guest.” He turned to the passthrough window, but he spotted the younger man already in motion, his back to the customers, preparing the tea. She watched the older man as he took a small glance back and forth between them. “Are you expecting anyone, my dear?”

“Actually, yes. My brother and my Dad.” She knew where this was already going. It wasn't the first time he had brought it up. 

“It’s a shame- My nephew is here and you are here. You know how often I have spoken about him to you…”

She raised a brow. “And told me nothing about him.” 

Blue eyes met his amber ones, mirth reflecting between each other. “Touche.”

In between their banter, a steaming mug was placed on the pass-through unseen. 

Iroh was the first one to break away, spotting the mug. As he turned back to her, tea in hand, a brow rose to her contemplative look. Absentmindedly, she fiddled with the charm at her throat. A devious smile pulled at her lips.

“I have a proposition for you, Iroh.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to be working on a study in the lower ring, since our work is in the Serpent’s Pass. From what I hear, you have two more shops, now.”

“Yes, one is--”

A hand rose to stop him. “No, don’t tell me. We’re going to let fate play the stars, alright? Tutega is known for her capricious ways.” 

Known to be well-versed in the lore of many nationalities, she was not surprised that Iroh showed no confusion over the name of the spirit. Tutega, the mercurial spirit woman was known to move the stars and thereby the fates, according to her desires. While growing up religious, Katara held a certain respect for the deities, even though she was not as devoted to the rites as she might once have been. Either way, she was more than willing to blame the spirits if this idea of hers went south.

“So here’s the deal. Your nephew runs those shops, right?”

A nod, along with a growing suspicion in his eyes, but he kept silent.

“What if, in exchange for this perpetual discussion, we make a deal that if I find one of the shops, I’ll go in to talk with him?”

“I would propose a caveat: you go on a date together.”

Hesitation paused the young woman. “I don’t know....”

“Unless there is another?”

“Well, no, I mean… I guess not really.”

“Then this: if you are free at that point, then go.”

The hesitation in her eyes dissolved, and she smiled again. “Then I’m going to need more than just silence, Iroh.”

“Free tea?”

Her laugh sounded out again. “Deal!”

* * *

When Sokka arrived, it was a raucous event, (‘Home’ Katara?! That’s the text you send??; What was I supposed to say?; How about ‘the guy wasn’t another Jet, I’m safe and he’s gone’?; What if he wasn’t gone?; He wasn’t?!) but it quickly settled, before a third individual arrived- this one seemingly an aged up Sokka, with the same striking features as the siblings. Katara was quick to her feet, enveloping him into a firm hug.

“Welcome home, Katara. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Dad.”

When they pulled away, the three of them fell into a comfortable banter, rapidly falling into the normal ebb and flow, being chased by warm tea. Finally, after a bout of pleasant ribbing of her older brother, Hakoda turned his attention to his daughter. 

“Did you get that notice I sent you?”

A sigh escaped her. “Dad, I already told you, I’m not going to apply for an ambassador role with NOAA.” 

“Why?”

“It’s politics. It’s making friends with people I can’t stand, be friendly with the assholes who are screwing up all of our oceans.”

“How do you think that they get their funding?”

“So you’re saying that I should be willing to ‘work’ with these pricks- pricks like O Corp-" she spits out the name with venom, "just to get funding?”

“No, I’m saying you should be willing to work with them to protect the oceans  _ from  _ them.” He leaned in, his blue eyes bright and eager, dropping his voice to inject calmness into the conversation. “You could be the saving grace-- the conscience people need.”

“These people that don’t see how important the sea is to life- without it, the world would fall apart! What you do to the ocean will always be visited back on you. It's what feeds us, lets us breathe. And those fools who see profit over living beings sicken me. I take from the sea, yes. But I also _give back_.”

A smile lit up his face. “And  _ that’s  _ why you should be an ambassador. Your passion, Katara, it can be such a force for good!”

His vigor set her back for a moment, and she took in his words. Slowly, she leaned in and placed a hand upon her father’s. 

“I’ll… consider it.”

“And that’s all I ask.”

She smiled as she leaned back as the moment passed. “I have to say, Dad, most fathers don’t ask about ambassadorial opportunities…”

“Oh? Then what do they talk about?”

“‘Anybody I need to know about, Katara?’” Her voice dropped to imitate the older man. “‘When are you going to give me grandkids?’ You know, stuff like that.”

The look in his eye made her instantly regret her words. “So, then, Katara, is there anybody?”

“Ugh, Dad!”

Sokka interrupted, a mischievous look in his eye. “Maybe after last night, there was…”

A pink tongue darted through her lips at her brother, her nose crinkling. Before she got out a word, her phone went off. It was Toph.

_ Hey sugar queen.  _ The text was obviously transcribed, but solidly in Toph’s typical direct manner.  _ Zuko says something happened to your number. He refuses to get it from me. Says he’ll surprise you. He just didn’t want you thinking he ghosted you.  _

She couldn’t hold back the smile on her lips.

* * *

Outside, Zuko paced beside the truck.

“Thanks Toph.”

“You got this, Sparky?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Ugh- don’t ever call me that again.”

“What? Ma’am?”

A disgusted sound echoed in his ears, and he smiled. 

“You got it, Toph. I owe you one.”

“Yeah, you do.”

* * *

With all of his willpower, he maintained his work schedule over the next few days. He refused to alter his schedule, truly leaving it to the stars, as Katara had mentioned. But when he walked in on the Tuesday after the fateful weekend, he was hopeful. The morning passed rapidly, as the breakfast crowd of the Lower Ring lasted much later into the day than his uncle’s shop. However, as the lunch crowd slipped in, he stepped back, allowing the shop’s employees to take up the slack. Instead, he mingled, confirming his customer’s comfort. Falling into his rhythms, he seemed to force his preoccupying thoughts away. A new group entered, and he greeted them with his customary small smile. It wasn’t until one of the members of the group stopped directly in front of the door, staring up, that it caught his attention.

It was only the beginning of autumn, but she was draped in a sky blue hoodie, oversized, and the hood pulled up. Dark tresses fell out from the side of the hood, and her dark chin jutted out from behind the hood’s cowl as she stared up, frozen still. With a shake of her head, she dropped her head. In that moment, he recognized her before she recognized him. With as much dignity and nonchalance as he could manage he made his way towards the kitchen to wait.

* * *

_Of all the tea shops, in all of Ba Sing Se,_ she thought… The sign above her colleague’s lunch choice was emblazoned with a white lotus, the name proudly alight: The Jasmine Dragon. 

Upon entering, she broke away from the group to move straight towards the counter. Better just to get this over with.  A young woman met her there with a pleasant smile. 

“Welcome to The Jasmine Dragon! Are there any teas you’re curious about?”

“Yes, but that’ll wait. Quick question:” Katara laid her hands flat upon the countertop, leaning on them. “Is your district manager in?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s usually here on Tuesdays.”

“Of course he is.” A bitter chuckle pulled at her lips, followed by a sigh. She dropped her voice a little. “Listen, I’m going to ask something weird, but I’ll explain once you answer, okay?”

The young woman’s eyes grew wary, but she nodded. 

“Is he… Ya know,” she gave a vague gesture, “I don’t know… not fifty?”

The girl laughed. “No! No, he’s in his thirties.”

“Oh good.” The words escaped Katara like a sigh. “Iroh’s been after me to meet him, but you know how that can go sometimes…”

Her response was a knowing laugh. “Would you like me to go get him?”

“Yes, please.”

“Ok, hold on--” she stopped in her tracks as the dark haired man stepped out from behind the curtain blocking off the kitchen, a puckish grin on his face. The young employee gestured pleasantly. “There he is.”

“ _Zuko_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, this one beat my butt. But it's here! For all of it's... glory? Anyway. 
> 
> NOAA still works here since it's an international society and it just stands for National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Which is totally an organization that can exist int ATLA-verse. 
> 
> The chapter title is from one of my favorite songs of my teenage years. Love Me Dead by Ludo.


End file.
